‘Healthy’ obese still face higher heart disease risk

[Tennis]

Source: Reuters

Even without high blood pressure or other signs of illness, obese adults have a much higher risk of developing heart disease than normal-weight peers, according to a study from Denmark.

The results contradict recent research suggesting a subgroup of obese individuals known as “metabolically healthy obese” may not face an increased risk for obesity-related complications such as heart or kidney disease, researchers write in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

“People have a general understanding now that it is not unhealthy to be overweight or obese as long as your lifestyle is relatively healthy,” said senior study author Kristine Faerch of the Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen.

“But overweight and obesity is associated with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” she told Reuters Health by email. “Maintaining a healthy weight through life is important to lower risk.”

Faerch and colleagues analyzed data for more than 6,200 men and women who participated in a large Danish study and were followed for at least 10 years.

The researchers also looked at four heart disease risk factors at the beginning of the study and at periodic follow-ups: low HDL ("good")cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure, triglycerides and blood sugar. Metabolically healthy individuals were defined as having none of these risk factors, and metabolically unhealthy individuals had at least one.

During the follow-up period, 323 participants developed heart disease. Men who started out metabolically healthy and obese had three times the risk compared to metabolically healthy normal-weight men. Metabolically healthy obese women had double the risk of their normal-weight counterparts.

Men who were metabolically healthy and overweight, but not obese, at the outset had the same risk as healthy normal-weight men, and risk was only slightly increased for metabolically healthy overweight women.

Researchers also factored into their calculations any changes in metabolic health status over the course of the study. Just 58 men and 114 women, or 3 percent of the study population, qualified as “metabolically healthy obese” at the start. And 40 percent of these became metabolically unhealthy during a five-year period.

“What this study shows, before even looking at outcomes, is how rare a strictly healthy type of obesity is in the first place,” said Joshua Bell of the University of Bristol in the UK, who wasn’t involved with the Danish study. “(It's) about 1 in 10 obese adults, and like we’ve found in previous studies, this status is often temporary.”

Bell and colleagues published research in the International Journal of Obesity in February that suggests obesity also hastens age-related functional decline and disability, even in metabolically healthy adults.

“As important as heart disease is, it’s not the only aspect that can go wrong,” he said. “We also need to consider musculoskeletal impairments and other outcomes that affect quality of life,” he told Reuters Health by email.

Bell’s team found that during two decades of aging, physical function declined two times more and body pain increased six times more in so-called healthy obese adults compared to normal-weight adults.

“This will become increasingly important as more people live with obesity for longer as we get better at controlling heart disease,” Bell said.

Future research may also focus on different definitions of metabolically healthy obesity, said Matthias Schulze at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbruecke who wasn’t involved with either study. Instead of body mass index, measurements could use waist circumference, waist-hip ratio or body fat distribution, he noted.

“We know now that the healthy state can change to the unhealthy state quickly over the course of a few years,” Schulze said by email. “The question now is - what can we do to reduce risk in both groups?”

With such a large and growing body of evidence, isn't it time to take our policy to combat obesity to the next level>?
What are our politicians waiting for ?!!

[PACOX]

With such a large and growing body of evidence

Pun intended?

[the game]

so do cigarette smokers. Where's your outrage about them?

[Mistame]

What are our politicians waiting for ?!!

Infinity. Because that's how long it'll take before how someone lives their life is the business of government.

[Underverse]

so do cigarette smokers. Where's your outrage about them?

I'll supply outrage on both fronts.

[Skrumpcious]

so do cigarette smokers. Where's your outrage about them?

Do you expect him to make a post for every single unhealthy lifestyle choice in order for his argument to be valid?

[Elegiac]

Okay. Just what the fuck do you expect to do about it?

[Spectral]

While I'm obviously fine with doing the science on the matter, this is one where the priors for obesity being unhealthy should be so high that any counterintuitive result that it isn't bad for one's health should be taken with a huge grain of salt. It should be pretty obvious to everyone that obesity isn't healthy without needing to be told repeatedly.

[Ooid]

Clearly we need to impose a tax on the obese.

[Spectral]

Infinity. Because that's how long it'll take before how someone lives their life is the business of government.

As has been rehashed a million times, it actually is the government's business when "the government" pays for healthcare. I'm rather irritated with paying for insulin for people that won't just stop stuffing their fat fucking faces.

I can't actually think of a good fix for this situation, but it's obviously not a great situation.

[Underverse]

How about we live in a free society and not worry about interfering in people's personal lives. Just a thought.

We live in a socially and economically interconnected society. Your business is my business, and mine is yours - to a degree. Obviously there are large costs to forcing people to change, but on occasion those costs can be justified and criticism is fair game.

[shadowmouse]

Somebody please move @Tennisace fat threads to health and fitness where they are a better fit.

[belfpala]

While I'm obviously fine with doing the science on the matter, this is one where the priors for obesity being unhealthy should be so high that any counterintuitive result that it isn't bad for one's health should be taken with a huge grain of salt. It should be pretty obvious to everyone that obesity isn't healthy without needing to be told repeatedly.

Careful there, salt may cause hypertension, or contribute to it.

Anyway, this is one point where I will be merciless, hateful, cruel, abusive, derogatory, inflammatory, and downright mean. If a person is fat, they know it. They also know that no matter what excuse they make, we see right through it.

Unless you have a medical professional tell me that a specific case of obesity is unavoidable, I don't believe any words the obese have to say.

I challenge the obese to follow me for a week. The challenge goes like this: You move when I move, you eat when and what I eat, you stop moving when I stop moving. It's a simple challenge.

[Ghaleon]

so do cigarette smokers. Where's your outrage about them?

I think Tennis is probably morbidly obese and hates himself thus his crusade against fat people.


Or he was abused by a fatty maybe he can show us on a doll?

[Mistame]

As has been rehashed a million times, it actually is the government's business when "the government" pays for healthcare.

No, it's not. There is no point in which the government has the right to control an individual's personal life. That simply is not the role of government, regardless of what it "pays for". And if that's not enough: Bodily autonomy.

I'm rather irritated with paying for insulin for people that won't just stop stuffing their fat fucking faces.

Sorry, but that's just not how that works. You are paying for access to a pool of resources, not the right to bitch about how others who also contribute use their access. This argument is inane as the, "I pay taxes so should get to decide what people on food stamps are allowed to purchase", argument.

I can't actually think of a good fix for this situation, but it's obviously not a great situation.

I've no problem with government-sponsored campaigns to help prevent obesity or even taxes on the more unhealthy foods. But government should not, ever, have any say in how a person lives their life as long as they're not violating the rights of others.

[Deleted]

Well obesity is unhealthy and the sky is green. Why does it matter? If a person decides not to live a healthy lifestyle good for them enjoy personal freedom. Everyone that is fat knows it's unhealthy and of course there can be different causes because of it but mostly i believe it has to do with the will power to change once life.

If obese people want help with it i strongly believe they should same goes for those that want to stop smoking and so on. If they don't well it's their choice

[Spectral]

No, it's not. There is no point in which the government has the right to control an individual's personal life. That simply is not the role of government, regardless of what it "pays for". And if that's not enough: Bodily autonomy.



Sorry, but that's just not how that works. You are paying for access to a pool of resources, not the right to bitch about how others who also contribute use their access. This argument is inane as the, "I pay taxes so should get to decide what people on food stamps are allowed to purchase", argument.



I've no problem with government-sponsored campaigns to help prevent obesity or even taxes on the more unhealthy foods. But government should not, ever, have any say in how a person lives their life as long as they're not violating the rights of others.

I already said that I don't see a great solution - I only object to the "it's not the government's business" line. Of course it is! We're stuck covering tens or hundreds of billions in cost per year stemming from nothing more than pure gluttony and laziness. Yeah, that's everyone's business.

[belfpala]

I've no problem with government-sponsored campaigns to help prevent obesity or even taxes on the more unhealthy foods. But government should not, ever, have any say in how a person lives their life as long as they're not violating the rights of others.

Is it not my concern when a product becomes more expensive to me because of the choices of others?

[Gemini Soul]

I'm rather irritated with paying for insulin for people that won't just stop stuffing their fat fucking faces.

And i hate paying taxes that are used to protect people like you, but that is life so get used to it.

[belfpala]

And i hate paying taxes that are used to protect people like you, but that is life so get used to it.

I get a discount on my health insurance if I go to the gym four times per month. That's not a tax, really, but others probably pay more if they don't. Is that what you're talking about?